Applications Guide
Contents
1. Large Diaphragm Multi pattern Tube Condenser Microphone Owners Manual Miktek LLC 1200 Clinton Street Suite 15 Nashville TN 37203 tel 615 250 2434 fax 615 346 9298 2010 All Rights Reserved Miktek LLC Printed May 2010 v1 www miktekaudio com Table of Contents Introduction iso o RR ok COR SRR GR KE Ga AE ee ee re 3 4 Features Xr stan wy Paras ot ane aE ea acy crc 5 Operating the CV4 i osos oss es rad EORR Rd Ak ker or RA me P PRU A Re 6 10 Using the Polar Patterns i mo s 6 0 9 4 be e AG A Sew a Roue AN a 6 Connecting your CVA a amore oo oo o EE A Oe Ga a eee PUR Eee Ce EG d eg 7 Powering the CN i044 oean rao Cop Goes EROR POR de TREE RET ERE OR RE THES GM dad 7 Setting Up the Signal Level 8 Microphone Placement soe kake t CAUSIS Gua a Ale do SAAS be RAG Ue er MacRae Gad 8 The Proximity Effect i as ds svak E ROO eR AE Rx be RATE GRE a Se ee ee 9 Stand Mounting the CVA vi pos 4 goce x eee a eut GE qeu EG ee Be AA 9 Installing the SM7 Shockmount 10 Applications Guide ss s sakke n l sos Ae RE See a A REEDED 11 19 Vocal suos ale ACE RU EG eo AG Ee wp e RUE RR rd Cw a eee a a uo 11 Acoustic Guitar ogi Rogo eae ae aka ESSE s OU RE HEG LEGG GDR PE REDE EUR OR ROG X E dod 12 PIANO ECT EENEG 13 Overhead Drum Kit 2 ss a nue oe CHARA SAM KE EEE bd Eek Ala HE oe UR Bek Oe RU daas 14 Stereo Miking Techniques 15 Coincidental XY or Crossed pairs ca rr 16 Near Coincidental oops c2. or cardioid microphone is positioned facing directly at the sound source The second microphone the side with a figure 8 pattern is positioned on the same axis directly 16 FRONT SIDE 90 Top View Applications Guide above or below the first but with the capsules positioned at a 90 degree angle from the front The outputs of the two microphones are often connected to a special MS matrix mixer which combines the mid signal with the signal of the side microphone both in phase and out of phase The matrix mixer s ratio control now used to set the balance between the mid mic and the combined signal of the side mics to adjust the width of the stereo spread You can also connect the two microphones outputs to two inputs of a stereo mixer let s say channel one and two Next split the side signal into a third channel set to reverse phase Pan channels two and three hard left and hard right respectively Channels two and three should be at equal level and always adjusted the same amount as if they were grouped together Now use the balance between channel one and the grouped channels two and three to adjust the width stereo spread If you want to create the Mid side stereo effect after you ve recorded into your DAW record the mid mic on track one and the side mic on track two Then copy track two to track three be sure they are aligned perfectly and then reverse the phase on track three Now group tracks two an
3. without hesitation The Miktek CV4 is hand built using components from the US Europe and Asia and is tested and packaged in Nashville Tennessee USA Each microphone includes its serialized frequency response graph created during final testing The CV4 is packaged with its swivel mount in a wooden box which is set inside an aluminum case with the included power supply unit 7 pin XLR cable and shock mount Introduction With proper care your CV4 will operate trouble free for many years We recommend you record your serial number in the space provided below for future reference Serial number Date of purchase Be sure to complete the included warranty registration card or visit mikekaudio com to register on line In the unlikely instance that your microphone would ever require service please contact us at 615 250 2434 for a Return Authorization number If you purchased the microphone outside of the US please contact your local distributor for service Please feel free to call us with any questions you may have about this or any other Miktek product Classic Large diaphragm Tube Condenser Design MK9 Dual 1 inch Capsule with 5 micron Mylar Evaporated Gold Diaphragms Nine Selectable Pick up Patterns Omni Hyper Cardioid Cardioid Half Cardioid Figure 8 and a transitional pattern in between each of those AMI BT4 Transformer Original NOS Telefunken EF800 Tube Individual serialized Frequency Response Graph External Power Supply a
4. 0000 Hz CV4 Typical Frequency Response 20 CV4 Polar Response Specifications EDV PGi TT Large Diaphragm Nine Pattern Tube Condenser Polar Patterns ec 0 of edm eee See ee Nine Selectable Omni Hyper Cardioid Cardioid Half Cardioid Figure 8 and a transitional pat tern in between each of thos Frequency Response 9 ewe o oe UR ste eee 20 20000Hz Sensitivity iuc RR RR RUE RR v Ree PR S ne 35 dBV Pa Equivalent Noise Level oooooo ooo 16 dB Dynamicrang xad da a a eed 117dB S N BAGO E oa os o e SE ale da 78dB Maks SPL visi E e a o Se E 133 dB Power Supply s sis cc a aa a wee E Miktek PS4 Specifications are subject to change without notice 21 www miktekaudio com 1200 Clinton Street Suite 15 Nashville TN 37203 tel 615 250 2434 fax 615 346 9298 2009 All Rights Reserved Miktek Printed May 2010 v1
5. atterns Depending on which miking technique you use the stereo image is created when the combination of microphones pickup differences in level time and frequency response There are several time tested techniques for recording in stereo including coincidental or XY pairs near coincidental or AB spaced pairs and baffled Following is a brief explanation of these common types stereo miking set ups Applications Guide Coincidental XY or Crossed pairs Coincidental microphone set ups are where the two microphones capsules are set close together on the same axis The most common of these is XY or crossed pairs In the XY set up the two microphone capsules are positioned on the same axis one directly above the other with the capsules positioned on an angle from 90 to 120 degrees The wider the angle the wider the stereo spread Since the microphones are set on the same axis the distance is constant and there s little or no delay FRONT SIDE difference Therefore the stereo image is created by the level difference of the left and right microphones Since there is no appreciable delay there is less of a chance for phase cancelation and comb filtering so you can good results when the stereo signal is combined to a mono signal MS Mid side The Mid side technique makes use of two microphones with one figure 8 and a second mic either cardidod or omni or two figure 8 pick patterns The first microphone the mid either figure 8 omni
6. d three together so they move with one fader Then pan channel two hard left and channel three hard right At this point you can adjust the width of the stereo image by change the balance between track one and the group channels two and three E boy o Figure 8 Cardioid Applications Guide Near Coincidental Near coincidental or AB mic set up used two matched microphones set relatively close together facing in opposite directions The spacing between the microphones creates a time delay adding to the stereo effect The greater the angle the greater the stereo spread Less of an angle yields a more narrow spread There are a few standards that specify different angles and spacing with the most popular being the ORTF the acronym given to the French Broadcasting Organization which stands for Office de Radiodiffusion Television Francaise The ORTF standard specifies the capsules to be spaced 17cm apart and set at a 110 degree opposing angle In this setup the stereo image is created by the differences between level and time The stereo image is sharp however it tends not to be mono compatible Spaced Pairs The spaced pair approach uses two identical microphones set rather FRONT SIDE d FRONT SIDE Tem bs 110 Top View far apart for example 2 to 20 feet or more apart both facing directly at the sound source The further apart that the micro phones are placed the wider th
7. d what kind of sound you re looking to capture for example the tonal quality you want to focus on and how much finger slide or pick noise you may or may not want When miking a standard steel string acoustic a good place to start is with the microphone positioned pointing towards the end of the fingerboard at a distance of about 6 inches to 2 feet away from the instrument You can experiment by moving the microphone slightly in the direction of the sound hole which will produce more low frequencies or move it in the direction of the 12th fret to capture more high end or to remove any unwanted boominess For nylon string acoustic try positioning the microphone above the bridge to emphasize more of the attack from the sound of the finger picking or for less move the mic closer to the sound hole If you have a pair of CV4 s try one positioned at the fingerboard and the second over the sound hole Try positioning one mic in the front of the guitar pointed towards the fingerboard and another over the right shoulder right handed player Important Note When using multiple microphones you need to be aware of their phase response In general all the microphones need to be facing in the same direction or you will experience comb filtering and or phase cancelation For instance in the previous example set up it will be necessary to invert the phase on the over the shoulder microphone since it will be more than likely end up facing the opposite direction a
8. e stereo spread 18 Applications Guide The instruments in the center of the two microphones will be heard midway between the left and right speaker With greater distance the off center images are less focused or more diffused 2 20 This set up tends to capture more ambience from the acoustical space which can be very pleasant to the listener however the signal tends not to be mono compatible In some instances were the microphones are very far apart a third microphone can be used in the center to reinforce the clarity of the center image x SESE Se S SS 5 Baffled In a baffled stereo set up two omni directional microphones are placed roughly the distance between your left and right ears with a physical hard or foam baffle placed in between the two mics It uses time differences at low frequencies and level differences at high frequencies to create the stereo image The baffle creates a k difference in frequency response between the two microphones with less high frequency content heard from the further microphone Therefore with the baffled set up the stereo signal is achieved by the combination of the differences in level time and frequency With the baffled set up the stereo image has a tendency to be exaggerated and not mono compatible 19 Specifications RELATIVE RESPONSE IN dB l l l l 20 50 100 200 500 1000 2000 50 FREQUENCY IN Hz 0 10000 2
9. et of good quality closed back headphones and take notice to how just a slight adjustment can make a huge change in frequency response However before you get into experimenting the following basic examples are a good place to start Vocals When using the CV4 on vocals position the microphone with the logo facing in front of the artist and so that the microphone grill is approximating 4 to 10 inches away To avoid unwanted p popping use of an external pop filter is strongly recommended If no pop filter is available try to set the microphone at a slight angle which will also help reduce p pops When the CV4 s pattern switch is set to Figure eight you can record a vocal duet by positioning one vocalist directly in front of the mic and one directly facing the rear of the microphone Just remember that the extreme sides of the microphone pick up almost nothing due to the bidirectional pick up pattern You can record a group of vocalists by positioning them in a circle around the CV4 with the pattern switch is set to Omni The linier response will pickup up all the vocalists in a 360 degree pattern evenly Try to set the balance by having the talent use natural dynamics to blend or position each singer at different distances to the mic to create a different balance 11 Applications Guide Acoustic Guitar There are a variety of ways that the CV4 can be used to mic an acoustic guitar The correct placement will depend on the type of instrument an
10. he capsule bias circuit to reach the proper voltage Also it s normal for the CV4 to go off momentarily while switching through the patterns 7 Operating the CV4 Setting Up the Signal Level In order to get a good signal first be sure that the CV4 is connected to a mixer or recorder input that is microphone level As explained in the previous section Powering the CV4 be sure that the PS4 power supply is connected properly and turned on Most quality mixers mic pre s and DAW s provide microphone inputs with a mic trim trim is jargon the control is usually called Mic Gain or Level control The purpose of the mic trim control is to set a good signal level and minimize any noise associated with the mic inputs electronics A good mic pre will also have a Clip or Peak LED to show you when the input is at overload the level which distortion begins to occur To set a good clean level set the CV4 up in front of the desired sound source and slowly turn up the mic trim until you see the Clip LED light up Then turn the trim control down until the LED does not light any more On most microphone inputs the best setting is when the trim control is turned up as high as possible without lighting the PEAK LED Microphone Placement To help maximize the quality of your recording you must pay careful attention to the placement of your CV4 and specifically how it is positioned for the instrument or vocalist that you re miking Remember the front s
11. ide of the microphone is the same side as the Miktek logo As you become more experienced in miking techniques you ll quickly realize the microphone placement is critical to getting the sound you want For more information on typical miking see the Application Notes section of this manual But remember these examples are at best an approximation of where you should place the microphone to get the best sound While placing the mic around any instrument or sound source monitor the signal through a set of good quality closed back headphones and take notice to how just a slight adjustment can make a huge change in frequency response As you re changing the microphone s position be sure to check that the mic input is still set to a good level without clipping as described in the previous section Operating the CV4 The Proximity Effect All cardioid or uni directional microphones exhibit a phenomenon known as proximity effect The proximity effect is the increase in low frequency response a microphone exhibits as it is moved closer to the sound source Vocalist tend to love this effect since when they get really close to the mic they get the FM radio big bass sound A good vocalist with good mic technique will use the proximity effect to adjust their tonal response in real time The key to developing the best mic technique is experimentation along with awareness of the general principle that when the pattern switch is set to Cardioid the cl
12. lems when used in live sound applications Connecting your CV4 To get started connecting the CV4 locate the included power supply and AC cable With its POWER switch set to OFF plug the AC cable into the back of the power supply then plug the AC cable into an appropriate power outlet Be sure to check the voltage switch is set to the correct voltage for your country Next connect the microphone to your power supply the included 7 pin XLR cable Be careful to line up the 7 Pin connectors so that you do not accidently bend them Now connect the Mic Output on the CV4 power supply to your mixer s mic pre s or DAW s Digital Audio Workstation mic input using a standard XLR microphone cable In order to ensure the proper phase response please note the PS4 s output connecter is wired as Pin 1 Ground Pin 2 hot or positive and Pin 3 cold or negative Important Note It always a good idea to turn down your mixers main output level control when plugging or unplugging microphones so you can avoid any unwanted loud pops that could cause damage to your speaker system Powering the CV4 Since the CV4 is a tube microphone it needs to be operated by connecting it to the included PS4 power supply unit as explained in the previous section Once the power supply is connected to the microphone and mic input power on the PS4 power supply The Power switch illuminates indicating the microphone is on You ll need to wait a bit for the tube to warm up and for t
13. nd 7 pin XLR Cable Wood Presentation Case with swivel mount shock mount and rugged aluminum Carrying Case Features S SE EE ORR tO OUTPUT POLAR PATTERN Operating the CV4 Using the Polar Patterns Perhaps the most important aspect of using your CV4 or any other microphone is to understand its available polar pick up patterns Every microphone has a characteristic polar pattern that determines how well it accepts or rejects signal coming from various areas around the microphone capsule You can use the CV4 s polar pattern switch located on the PS4 power supply s front panel to select one of the available polar patterns The CV4 provides nine polar pick up patterns omniderctional half cardioid cardioid hyper cardioid figure eight plus a transitional frequency in between each This give s you a tremendous amount of versatility and sound possibilities To understand the basics of patterns you need to know the three most common patterns omniderctional bi directional or figure eight The Omnidirectional pattern produces a linear response regardless of where the sound source originates in front of the mic behind it to the side etc If the talent needs to move around and has trouble staying in the same place in front of the mic using the omni pattern can be extremely useful since the off axis change will have less of an effect on the frequency response When the CV4 is set to the figure eight pattern
14. njoy making them Sincerely Michael Ketchell Managing Director Introduction The Miktek CV4 is a large diaphragm tube condenser microphone offering nine pick up patterns The CV4 s sound is truly large and produces a musical response that will please artists producers and most seasoned engineers alike The bottom end is big warm and tight with mids that are present and even along with a high frequency response that s sweet and airy The CV4 is ideal for recording single vocalists and perfect for acoustic instruments groups of vocals piano string ensembles winds overheads on a drum kit or as ambient room mics The CV4 utilizes the MK9 capsule developed by Miktek This unique capsule features dual 1 inch diaphragms manufactured using 5 micron Mylar with a 0 4 micron layer of evaporated gold which is precisely tensioned mounted to carefully tuned backplates and set back to back to create the final capsule Tight tolerances and special attention to precise machining of the backplate produce a linear off axis response that ensures the accuracy of the microphone The CV4 s electronic circuit design is unique and features the AMI T7 transformer together with the implementation of high quality hand selected exotic components Together with an original NOS new old stock Telefunken EF800 tube in which the high voltage circuit has been uniquely implemented the microphone challenges the performance of the best in class industry standards
15. oser your CV4 is to a signal source the greater the bass response The proximity effect s bass lift is caused by the amount of pressure present at the ports that are used to create the directional pattern Since omnidirectional microphones do not normally use these ports they do not have proximity effect Stand Mounting the CV4 The CV4 can be mounted to any standard microphone stand using the included mic stand holder or the SM7 shock mount If you are using a US standard 5 8 inch mic stand remove the Euro adapter by unscrewing it from the mic holder Screw the holder to a solid mic stand then line up the bottom threaded section of the CV4 to the holder and slowly rotate the microphone clockwise until it screws on hand tight Be careful not to cross thread the screws You can loosen the bottom thumbscrew on the holder to make left and right adjustments to the mic and then re tighten it once it s in place Loosen the side thumbscrew to set the microphone angle and then tighten once it s in place Operating the CV4 Installing the SM7 Shockmount The CV4 kit comes with a SM7 shockmount which you can use to greatly reduce any noise transmitted through the mic stand The shockmounts are especial useful in reducing the problems caused by a boomy soundstage for example when miking overhead cymbals or even in the studio with talent that likes to move a lot on a floor that may not be a solid as it should be To use the CV4 with its included
16. ria bee PR ee eS P RR e GRE Mom eo ba Lele 18 spread cT Ta san teat tes al i Te dev EN Be AG ee Tel GR Tasers a A O 19 Baffled P aa eb ee ee GR TUTTI 19 Specifications o pamete Gade ask anes REG ee du 4 ERA SoG G RES e A 20 21 You ve done done it You ve purchased a truly exceptional piece of audio gear Congratulations and thank you for purchasing the CV4 Large Diaphram FET Condenser from Miktek We know there are a lot of pretty good low cost microphones available today but you re in an elite group of audio engineers where pretty good is just not good enough Simply put that s why we make our products In the following sections of this manual you will find a description of the CV4 s features step by step set up and operating instructions along with detailed specifications In addition we ve also included some basic miking techniques for typical recording and live sound applications Most of us who ve purchased the CV4 are already experienced engineers so these may seem quite basic However at Miktek we want to encourage young or new engineers to use our microphones or at least to read our manuals and learn something about recording and live sound We know you re serous about your productions because you purchased such an outstanding audio instrument and at Miktek we re serous about providing superior products and service to our customers We appreciate your patronage and hope you enjoying using your microphones as much as we e
17. s the front microphone Any good mic pre will have a Phase reversal switch so be sure to reverse the phase of any mics facing the opposite direction 12 Applications Guide Piano You can achieve outstanding results using the CV4 on acoustic piano Several placement approaches can be used depending on the size of the piano and the type of sound you are looking to record When miking a Grand Piano for an ambient sound like that used in a classical recital a single CV4 can be positioned directly in front of the instrument Open the lid to the full position and place the microphone five to twelve feet in front of the instrument For a more contemporary sound with better isolation place two CV4 s inside the piano positioning one over the low strings and the other over the high strings To achieve a more realistic sound it s a good idea to leave some space between the instrument and the microphone especially if you are recording a solo instrument Also keep in mind how the track ultimately needs to fit into the mix For example if you are recording a solo performance of Chopin you would likely want a very even response and you d want to capture the left hand sostenuto However if you are recording rock and roll or pop music you may want the piano to sit within the track in a specific frequency range where less bass is desired Nashville engineers and other good ones from all over the planet are famous for building the mix as they track star
18. shockmount screw the shockmount on a solid mic stand If you are using a US standard 5 8 inch mic stand remove the Euro adapter by unscrewing it from the shockmount Once the shockmount is mounted to the stand line up the bottom threaded section of the CV4 to the holder and slowly rotate the bottom thumbscrew clockwise until it screws on hand tight Be careful not to cross thread the screws You can loosen the bottom thumbscrew slightly to make left and right adjustments to the mic and then re tighten it once it s in place Remember the front side of the microphone is the same side as the Miktek logo Loosen the thumbscrew to set the microphone angle and then tighten once it s in place 10 Applications Guide The CV4 is a great microphone choice for many instrument miking situations Below is a brief guide on using the CV4 in some typical applications But as a general rule of thumb before you use a typical placement carefully listen to what you are miking by having the artist play a practice track Take a walk around the artist as they are playing and listen to what the instrument sounds like from different positions Move left and right Listen over the artist s shoulders Place your head up high and close to the floor Imagine your ears are the microphones What do you hear that you like Then once you choose your spot monitor the signal through a s
19. the microphone picks up sound directly from the front and back while rejecting the sound at the sides When miking an acoustic guitar a great way to capture same natural ambience is set the mic in figure 8 and position it between a guitar and a reflective surface While Omni and Bi directional microphones are very useful for a variety of applications many miking situations in recording and live sound applications require uni directional or cardioid microphones When set to Cardioid the CV4 will accept the sound coming from directly in front and to reject sound coming from behind or from the sides The cardioid pick up pattern allows for better separation of instruments in the studio and more control over feedback in live sound reinforcement When positioned correctly the cardioid pattern allows you to pick up more of the sound you want and less of the sound you don t want In live sound situations the polar pattern also determines how prone a particular 6 Operating the CV4 microphone is to inducing feedback Feedback is that nasty howling sound that occurs when a mic is placed too close to a loudspeaker the signal from the loudspeaker is fed into the mic then into the loudspeaker then into the mic over and over again until an oscillating tone is generated The cardioid pattern utilized by the CV4 is so good at rejecting signal not coming from directly in front of the microphone you ll find that use of the CV4 greatly minimizes feedback prob
20. ting with the microphone placement You can also try the XY or ORTF stereo mic set ups described in the following section Stereo Miking Techniques Applications Guide Strings Place the CV4 one to three feet from the instrument when recording a solo string instrument like a violin When recording a string section try to position one or more CV4 s several feet from the players If the size of the room permits raise the microphones three or four feet above the section and position them at a 45 degree angle facing down If you have two CV4 s you can try the XY or ORTF stereo mic set ups described in the following section Stereo Miking Techniques Overhead Drum Kit Because of its linear full range frequency response the CV4 performs outstandingly when used as an overhead cymbal microphone The CV4 s big sound and linear response capture the entire kit making them awesome on overheads You can position one CV4 on a boom mic stand directly above the kit pointing from front to back For stereo miking use two CV4 s placed over the drum set at a distance of two to three feet depending on the size of the kit You can experiment with the exact placement depending on the size of the room and whether you re looking for an ambient or close miked sound You can also try the XY or ORTF stereo mic set ups described in the following section Stereo Miking Techniques In general when miking a drum kit it s a good idea to start with the o
21. verhead mics Even though you use the overhead mics mostly for the cymbals try to get the entire kit to sound great in the overheads Then it will be easier to just bring up your individual mics for more attack and thickness in the overall sound 14 Stereo Miking Techniques Stereo Miking Techniques Recording instruments like acoustic guitar piano and drums or ensembles especially in classical or jazz in stereo will provide a much more realistic experience for the listener You can create a stereo recording by simply using your mixer s or DAW s pan controls to place different instruments in between the left and right speakers However since the recorded tracks were likely created with close miking the stereo mix is void of a lot of information that the listener would normally enjoy in a live performance When you record live tracks in stereo not only will you capture the left and right position but you can capture the perspective of depth and distance of each instrument You ll also capture an image that translates the distance between the ensemble and the listener and you capture the sound of the acoustic space surrounding the instrument or ensemble When recording ensembles in stereo you have better chance of faithfully reproducing the balance between the instruments that was originally intended by the composer For most stereo miking applications you need to have two microphones with closely matching frequency responses and polar p
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